“Do you have fire in your belly?” was a question I often heard from coaches. It was never intended as a question, but as a challenge to play harder. Coaches want to know if an athlete has the passion and determination to play with a competitive edge. As an athlete, I never had others’ natural ability, but I did have the fire in my belly—a hustle, grit, and tenacity to get the job done—whatever coach asked of me.

If you hear someone extolling the virtues of teamwork, it’s usually within the context of a group of people pressing toward a common goal or successful result. That’s certainly something you would expect to hear from legendary UCLA head coach John Wooden, who led the Bruins to an unprecedented 10 NCAA men’s basketball championships between 1963 and 1975. But in an age when players and coaches are primarily judged by wins and losses or by individual performance, too often the journey from point A to point B is overlooked, even though there can be significant contentment found in the process alone.

Part of the challenge in life is it is so daily. As a competitor, it is a battle not to treat today’s practice as just one more in what feels like an endless amount. It seems the only competitors who really value each workout are those who realize there isn’t an infinite amount: those returning from injury, at the end of their final season or especially those who have been told they do not have long to live. These individuals truly make each day count.

As the Competitor’s Creed states, your desire as an athlete is to “compete for the pleasure of [your] Heavenly Father, the honor of Christ and the reputation of the Holy Spirit.” That is truly competing with a spiritual focus, not a physical focus.